Opinion
Civil Action 22-3783 (UNA)
01-04-2023
DEMETRIUS CEGAS SOPHUS, JR, Plaintiff, v. CENTRAL DETENTION FACILITY, Defendant.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
CHRISTOPHER R. COOPER UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
Plaintiff, appearing pro se, has filed a Complaint, ECF No. 1, and an application to proceed in forma pauperis, ECF No. 2. The Court will grant the application and dismiss the case.
Plaintiff, of no known address, has sued the District of Columbia's Central Detention Facility, which is not a proper defendant. See Arnold v. Moore, 980 F.Supp. 28, 33 (D.D.C. 1997) (“Governmental agencies of the District of Columbia are not suable entities, or non sui juris.”). Nevertheless, Plaintiff has brought a largely incoherent complaint alleging only that “of approximately 2019, I was pronounced as a criminal and placed in Jail. For 6 days or more minus holding of custody due process-false imprisonment as arraignment court did fail to bind me Judge.” Compl. at 1 (cleaned up).
Federal courts “are without power to entertain claims otherwise within their jurisdiction if,” as here, “they are so attenuated and unsubstantial as to be absolutely devoid of merit, wholly insubstantial, [or] obviously frivolous[.]” Hagans v. Lavine, 415 U.S. 528, 536-37 (1974) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted). Therefore, this action will be dismissed by separate order.